Zerith: Just the Way You Are
by M. L. Ayala
Summary: Zack/Aerith, one-shot, song fic. Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars. I thought the song fit their relationship pretty well and just had to write this.


Hey everyone! So, this is my first try at this pairing. They're one of my absolute favorites, so hopefully I did them justice.

The song is _Just the Way You_ Are by Bruno Mars

* * *

><p>Just the Way You Are<p>

_Her eyes, her eyes_

_Make the stars look like they're not shining_

From the moment he opened his eyes, Zack had been captivated. Her emerald green eyes had sparkled as she smiled down at him, lying in the middle of her flowers. He'd never seen anything so before. No wonder he'd thought she was an angel.

He didn't get any sleep that night, choosing instead to sit on the roof of the Shinra Building, stargazing. He'd always been amazed by the brilliance of the stars, even in the city where you could barely see them because of the lights. But now he couldn't understand what he had found so amazing about them. They were nothing compared to Aerith's eyes.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_Her hair, her hair_

_Falls perfectly without her trying_

When she asked him to tie the ribbon in her hair after their first 'date,' he smiled. Fumbling with the bow, he managed to drag the process out for a few minutes longer than necessary. Aerith laughed and teased him about his clumsiness, tossing her head so that her braid just barely brushed his face.

Zack could hear the owner of the shop chuckling in the background, and a slight blush crept over his cheeks. He didn't care though, not really. If a little embarrassment was the price for playing with her silky hair, he would gladly pay it.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_She's so beautiful_

_And I tell her every day (yeahh)_

Zack stood in the doorway of the church, watching quietly as she tended the flowers. The few stray beams of sunshine that managed to enter the dark building all seemed to focus on her, highlighting her delicate features and causing a halo effect around her head. Not for the first time, he said a silent thanks to every higher being for the fact that he had fallen through the ceiling on that day a few months before.

Aerith glanced up and saw him watching her. A small smile graced her face as she stood and brushed the dirt off of her hands. His blue eyes lit up as she started towards him. Before she got very far, his voice drifted softly to her ears.

"You're beautiful, Aerith…"

_I know, I know_

_When I compliment her she won't believe me_

_And it's so, it's so_

_Sad to think that she don't see what I see_

Aerith blushed and looked away. "Don't tease me like that, Zack."

"Is it teasing if it's the truth?" he asked earnestly.

She glanced up at him through her bangs, eyes clearly saying that she didn't believe him. Acting on impulse, he reached up and brushed her hair out of her face. As he did this, she realized that he wasn't wearing his gloves today.

"How many times do I have to say it before you'll believe me?"

"No one's ever called me beautiful before…" she met his gaze and shivered, just a bit, still uncertain.

"Aerith … you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen…"

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?"_

_I say_

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

Standing in her kitchen, he smiled nervously at her mother. She gave him a reassuring smile in return. This would be the first time that he took Aerith on a real date, not just a walk around the slums and to the park. She was getting changed after working all day with the flowers.

Zack stopped himself when he realized that he'd begun tapping his foot. A few seconds later he caught himself about to start pacing. Why am I so nervous? We've spent plenty of time together before this. This is no different from before, we're just going to a fancier place, that's all.

The creak of the stairs snapped him out of his reverie.

"Do I look okay?" she asked him, a bit shy. He froze, staring up at Aerith standing on the stairs. She had let her hair out of the braid, and it fell in glossy waves down past her waist. Her usual white dress had been changed for another one, similar in style, but instead of white it was a shade of green that complimented her eyes. Seeing his expression, Aerith hesitated. "Maybe I should -"

"No," Zack stopped her, finally finding his voice. "No, you're perfect, just like that." He gave her a little bow and offered her his hand, with a silly grin.

She laughed and took his hand, allowing him to lead her out of the house.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while_

'_Cause girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

Aerith was kneeling in the flower bed, face hidden by the curtain of hair that had fallen free of her braid. Zack had passed by several times as he ran errands throughout the day. He hadn't let her know that he was there, just peeked in the door for a few seconds, then moved on. But she knew when he was there. Sometimes she glimpsed him out of the corner of her eye. Other times she didn't see him, but she still knew.

When she was about to leave, she sensed him there again. Turning, she found him sitting in the last row. Aerith stood and stretched, sighing tiredly. She made her way back to him and leaned against the back of the bench.

"So. You stayed this time," she said softly.

"Oh, you noticed?" he blushed and glanced away.

"Why did you stop in so many times before?"

He looked up, and his sky blue eyes met her emerald green ones.

Zack rose and stood beside her. "I just wanted to see your smile."

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_Her lips, her lips_

_I could kiss them all day if she'd let me_

Zack smiled as he led Aerith through the slums to the little park in Sector 6. He covered her eyes with his hands and guided her to the back of the playground. Ignoring her questions about what he was doing, he paused and glanced over everything, making sure that it was just right.

He heard giggling from some of the kids who stood on the playground watching. They had all helped him get this together, so he didn't bother to try to get them to leave.

"Zack Fair," Aerith huffed, with her hands on her hips, "answer my question. What are you -" He released her and she opened her eyes. Spinning in a circle, she gasped at the sight around her.

The entire playground was covered in flowers of every color and type imaginable. The dull and dreary colors of the slums had disappeared behind the bright and cheery flower petals.

"Where did you find them all?" she kept her back to him as she bowed her head over a particularly vibrant flower.

"I had a few friends help me gather them when we came back from a mission the other day." He chuckled as he added, "They all think I'm crazy…"

"Zack…." she looked up at him and he could see tears forming in her eyes. Before he could ask what was wrong, she had tackled him in a fierce hug. "_Thank you_."

She looked up at him with her emerald eyes and smiled. Before he realized what he was doing, Zack bent his head and kissed her.

They could hear the delighted screams and laughter of the children watching them as they parted. Aerith was blushing scarlet, and Zack just grinned.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_Her laugh, her laugh_

_She hates but I think it's so sexy_

"Zack, why do you always act so clumsy?" Aerith asked as they left the restaurant. He was drenched after an unfortunate mishap with a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. After laughing at the sight, Aerith had suggested that they leave and continue their date later.

"It's not on purpose!" he insisted as he walked beside her. "Those things just happen to me."

"Hmm," she narrowed her eyes as she studied him. "No, I don't think so. It's not all accidents."

"What exactly are you trying to say, Miss Gainsborough?"

"Why do you insist on acting like such a klutz, Mr. Fair?" she countered as he narrowly avoided running into a sign. She couldn't hold back a chuckle as he stumbled and tried to catch his balance.

"I have my reasons," he answered, smiling to himself.

"And those reasons are?" she turned and gave him _that look_, arms crossed, head cocked to the side, with one eyebrow raised slightly.

"Maybe I just like to hear you laugh."

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_She's so beautiful_

_And I tell her everyday_

Aerith pushed the door of the church closed, and started on her walked home. It had rained the night before, making the flower beds muddy. She hadn't really cared, just went to work like she usually did. By the time she was finished, her usually white dress was almost entirely brown, and mud was caked on her arms up past her elbows. She was pretty sure that it was smeared on her face, too.

When she was about halfway home, she spotted Zack walking towards her. She looked around frantically for somewhere to hide, hoping that he hadn't already seen her. This was not the way she wanted to look, covered head to toe from working all day in the dirt. But it was too late, he'd already seen her and was waving. She sighed and waited for him.

His usual grin spread across his face, getting wider when he saw the state that she was in. "Aerith, have I ever told you how beautiful you look?"

She blushed and looked up at him, looking for a hint of teasing. "Really, Zack, you can't mean that. Not when I look like this," she gestured at her dress.

"Oh, but I do." He pulled her to him and hugged her. "You are beautiful, Aerith," he whispered to her.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_Oh you know, you know, you know_

_I'd never ask you to change_

_If perfect's what you're searching for_

_Then just stay the same_

"What do you think about me getting my hair cut?" Aerith asked him one day while they were in the garden behind her house.

Zack froze and stared at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," she twirled a stray strand of her long brown hair between her fingers.

He studied her expression, and could see the thoughts running in circles behind her eyes. Something was bothering her. Was it something he had done? He went over the past few weeks in his mind, but couldn't think of anything that he had done to upset her.

"Aerith, is something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's nothing," she gave the strand a quick tug and released it.

"Aerith," he reached over and put his hand on her arm, "did I do something?" She looked surprised, then shook her head. "Then what is it?"

She sighed and looked away. "I heard some girls talking the other day … and they were talking about how … the only way to keep a guy interested … is to change things up every once in a while. When I asked them what they meant they said that changing your hair style is a good place to start… so I was thinking about it." Her voice got quieter the longer that she talked, to the point where Zack could barely hear her when she finished.

Wait. You were going to cut your hair … for me?" he asked in bewilderment. She nodded. "Aerith … you never have to change _anything_ for me, do you understand?" He kissed her lightly on the lips, then rested his forehead against hers. "You're perfect just the way you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently."

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_So don't even bother asking if you look okay_

'_Cause you know I'll say_

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause girl your amazing_

_Just the way you are_

Zack stood in one of the shops in the slums. He had agreed to take Aerith shopping, since she had wanted to get a new dress. Her usual white one was starting to look a little worn from all of the time she spent with the flowers.

"Okay, how about this one?" she stepped out of the dressing room in a simple, pale pink knee-length dress. She spun slowly then looked over at him.

"It looks perfect on you," he answered with a smile.

"That's what you said about all of the ones before," she put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

"Well it's true," he said.

"Remind me never to ask you to come shopping with me again," she muttered as she went back to the dressing room, but she was smiling.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while_

'_Cause girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

Zack strode out of the Shinra Building after a long day of training. He was scheduled for a mission the next day, and he wanted to spend some time with Aerith. It had been so busy in SOLDIER recently, with everyone scrambling to find Angeal and Genesis, that he hadn't had much time to spend with her.

He was tired, and all he really wanted to do was sleep, but he owed it to her to at least stop by and explain himself. The train station was deserted when he arrived, so he leaned against one of the walls and closed his eyes, waiting for the next train to arrive. When it did, he slumped down into one of the seats and allowed himself to doze off. The attendant had to wake him later as the train pulled into the station.

As he walked through the slums, he was greeted with smiles and waves, which he returned halfheartedly. Everything that had been going on recently was just wearing him down. Friends were missing, others were just as busy as he was so they never saw each other, and he hadn't been able to spend any serious time with his girlfriend for weeks.

He trudged up the steps to the church, wondering how long it would take him to bounce back from this slump in his mood.

The sight of Aerith's smile, patient and understanding and loving, made all of his stress melt away.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_The way you are_

_The way you are_

_Girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

He was sitting on the floor towards the back of the church, hunched over the huge broadsword that he had brought with him. She was surprised when he arrived so suddenly, even more so because he wasn't joking, wasn't laughing, didn't even smile. Something was very wrong, a point that was made all too clear by the unshed tears in his sky blue eyes.

Aerith tried to keep up a conversation, ignoring the fact that it was one-sided. She wasn't sure what to do, but she figured that if he had wanted to sit in silence, then he would've found somewhere to be by himself. So she told him how the flowers were doing, what had happened while he was gone, anything to fill the silence.

She paused, listening. For a second, she had almost thought she'd heard … no, there it was again. She straightened and turned slowly. He was still hunched over, but now his shoulders were shaking, and every few seconds a muffled sob could be heard.

"Zack…." she approached him slowly, trying to decide what she should do. When she stood behind him, she realized how much of a mess he was. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. _Words aren't what he needs right now_, she realized as his sobs grew louder. They stayed like that until he was able to calm down enough to speak.

He never told her exactly what had happened, and she knew enough to not ask. She was just glad that she'd been able to give him at least a little bit of comfort when he needed it.

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while_

Zack sat on the floor in the church with tools and various materials around him. Aerith watched him working furiously to assemble the wagon for her. He tried to fit two very mismatched pieces of wood together and ended up flinging them away in disgust.

"You did get instructions, didn't you?" she asked with a teasing smile. "Maybe you should take a look at them."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing this without instructions, Aerith," he responded as he picked up another piece and studied it.

"Mm hmm," she rolled her eyes and picked up the papers that had directions for building a cart printed in faded letters. Several minutes later she was beside him, handing him the correct pieces.

"I could have done it myself, you know," he told her when they were almost finished.

Aerith just smiled in return. "Of course, Zack."

|~O~|~O~|~O~|

_'Cause girl you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

As Zack and the rest of the crew for the mission headed for Nibelheim, he couldn't help but wish that he had said more to Aerith before he'd left.

_I love you, Aerith_. That's what he had wanted to say. Instead, he'd taken the note with her 23 wishes and left her in the church to wait for his return.

_Oh well_, he thought to himself, _I'll have plenty of time to tell her when I get back. That'll be the first thing that I tell her when I get home._

* * *

><p>Please review and let me know how I did on this!<p>

Also, I have a few other one-shots that I'm planning up for this pairing, so keep an eye out for those. Don't know when I'll get them done, but hopefully it'll be soon.


End file.
